Xeon L5609 vs Athlon X4 840
Xeon L5609
Athlon X4 840
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Xeon L5609 is positioned at rank 735 and the Athlon X4 840 is on rank 563, so the Athlon X4 840 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon L5609
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 840
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon L5609 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($229) | ✅ More affordable ($25) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon L5609 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+825%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($229) | ✅ More affordable ($25) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L5609 and Athlon X4 840
Xeon L5609
The Xeon L5609 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.86 GHz, with boost up to 1.86 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 40 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,298 points. Launch price was $800.
Athlon X4 840
The Athlon X4 840 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,331 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon L5609 and Athlon X4 840 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.86 GHz on the Xeon L5609 versus 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 840 — a 68.6% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 840 (base: 1.86 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon L5609 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon X4 840 uses Kaveri (2014−2015) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon L5609 scores 3,298 against the Athlon X4 840's 3,331 — a 1% lead for the Athlon X4 840.
| Feature | Xeon L5609 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 1.86 GHz | 3.8 GHz+104% |
| Base Clock | 1.86 GHz | 3.1 GHz+67% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 4 MB+1500% |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) | Kaveri (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 3,298 | 3,331+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon L5609 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 840 uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon L5609 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | FM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Value Analysis
The Xeon L5609 launched at $229 MSRP, while the Athlon X4 840 debuted at $102. At current prices ($229 vs $25), the Athlon X4 840 is $204 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon L5609 delivers 14.4 pts/$ vs 133.2 pts/$ for the Athlon X4 840 — making the Athlon X4 840 the 161% better value option.
| Feature | Xeon L5609 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $229 | $102-55% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $229 | $25-89% |
| Performance per Dollar | 14.4 | 133.2+825% |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2014 |
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